The Open Road vs. The Hamster Wheel

Yesterday afternoon I gave myself a chuckle when I related on running on the treadmill inside at the gym to being on a hamster wheel.

During my morning run (outside) this morning, it occurred to me just how much I have come to enjoy running outside....and all of the natural enjoyment there is to be had.

Going back a little while, when I first started running I liked the treadmill at my local gym. I think I liked it because the belt on the treadmill would 'move you forward' and force you to run. I needed that - they also had a TV so I could watch the news or whatever. When they added five (5) more TVs and lined them up side by side, that became a little annoying. Watching CNN next to the TV that was showing Fox News, well you can guess that's a little overload.

I started to run outside more and more after this. It was fairly 'jarring' to my body at first. Running on pavement is a different level of impact than a treadmill belt. There are no shock absorbers on the road.....other than your body and a good set of sneakers.

I also really had to RUN now....no more belt Heather...it's all you.

But things got better and I found myself looking forward to it. When the weather got cold....I bought cold weather gear. Yep.....I am the one running in the snow now trying to avoid patches of ice and melted puddles of salted slush.

...but I am also the one now that gets to enjoy the sunrise over the pond as I hit mile 2 of my morning run.....or the smile and wave I get when folks I know (or don't know) pass me (thank you for that) and no TV at the gym can compare to that.

A few lines from a poem by Walt Whitman always crosses my mind when I start my run...

"Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose. "

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